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Welcome to the 2022 National Book Festival Young Adult Stage!

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This post was written by Abigail Sears, Sabrina Solomon and Mihir Kelkar, teen summer interns in the Library’s Informal Learning Office.

As we near the date of the first in-person National Book Festival (NBF) since 2019, teen interns are here and excited to share background information and behind-the-scenes looks at some of the authors featured in the Young Adult (YA) section of this year’s festival. In its second year, our virtual teen intensive internship invites teens from across the country to learn about the Library and to contribute to the National Book Festival.

This year, young adult fiction writer E. Lockhart is making her National Book Festival debut to discuss Family of Liars. Published earlier this spring as the prequel to the New York Times best-selling We Were Liars, Family of Liars addresses themes of tragedy and loss, as well as addiction. The novel follows Carrie and the build-up of family secrets that her niece Cady later searches for in We Were Liars.

Later in the day, Anna Marie McLemore will take over the YA stage to discuss their most recent book, Lakelore. With more than nine books to their credit, Anna has earned a devoted following among young readers who enjoy magical realism. Lakelore blends the traditional components of mythology with a modern twist. Featuring a diverse cast of characters, Lakelore does an exquisite job of representing mental health, gender fluidity, love, and more.

Multicolored, larger than life puppet and puppeteer, taking part in a parade.
CREDIT: “Puppeteer Mark Jenks participates in parade entry Alebrije (“Magical Vision”). Photo by Dianne Hannson, for “Parade the Circle Celebration,” an Ohio Local Legacies project

The main narrative of Lakelore features aspects of the Alebrijes, a type of Mexican folk art involving mythical creatures. The photograph on the left shows an image of a creature made in the Alebrije style. If you have more questions for this author, head on over to the festival, and who knows, they could be answered by McLemore themself!

Finally, as stars and rookies alike prepare for the new NBA season it’s a great time to consider the league’s history. Hardcourt: Stories From 75 Years of The National Basketball Association, by author Fred Bowen and illustrator James E. Ransome, introduces the reader to the origins of the game as well as its lore. This is only a small portion of what the festival has to offer for teens. If you would like to learn more about who else will be featured at this year’s festival, click here.

Comments (2)

  1. Great job !

  2. Well written article – cannot wait until 9/3 to enjoy the fun!

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